Best Octopus Meze Recipes

GREEK MARINATED OCTOPUS IN OIL AND VINEGAR

Steps:

• Gather the ingredientsl.
• Under running water, remove and discard the ink sac, stomach, and eyes from the large head cavity of the octopus bodies. (if you're squeamish, wear rubber gloves). Remove the beak, at the bottom of the head where it joins the tentacles, with a sharp knife.
• Place the whole octopus in a pot with enough boiling water to cover generously. When it resumes boiling, cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and drain. When cool enough to handle, rub the octopus with your hands under running water to remove the dark outer membrane. This comes off fairly easily, and if it doesn't all come off, that's all right.
• Place the octopus in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, seal, and when pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. If using an Instant Pot, use quick pressure release, remove the octopus, and drain in a colander. Reserve the cooking water in the pressure cooker.
• When the octopus is cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-size pieces.
• Place the octopus pieces into a bowl with 3 1/2 ounces of reserved cooking water saved from the pressure cooker, 3 1/2 ounces of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well. This should be enough to completely cover the octopus; if it doesn't, make a little more marinade.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours before serving.
• To serve, remove the octopus from the marinade (which may become slightly gel-like), drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. As a side dish, marinated octopus goes well with fakes ( lentil soup ), perhaps some cauliflower, and Greek olives. As a meze (appetizer), it's perfect with ouzo.

GREEK-STYLE OCTOPUS RECIPE (XTAPODI)

Steps:

• Into a large pan, add the tentacles of the octopus, along with the red wine vinegar, the wine and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Boil with the lid on, on medium low heat, for 40-60 minutes. Do not add any water, because the octopus, will shrink and emit enough water. Be careful not to add any salt, as the octopus is salty enough and not to over-boil it, because it will get mushy. When cooked nicely, the octopus should be crunchy.
• When done, remove the octopus from the pan and keep the juices into a bowl.
• Into a very hot pan, add the octopus, without the juices, and color nicely for 1 minute. This will allow the octopus to get crispy on the outside.
• Add the sliced onions and chopped tomatoes into the pan, along with 1-2 tbsps of olive oil and the garlic and stir. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the onions caramelize.
• Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and wait for it to evaporate. Pour in the juices from boiling the octopus, that you kept aside, and 2 tbsps of honey. Season well with freshly ground pepper, sprinkle with some chopped pasley and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Serve with some crusted bread and ouzo or tsipouro.

OCTOPUS MEZE

Steps:

• Rinse the octopus under cold, running water and place in pot dripping wet (you don't want to dry it off- this is the moisture it will cook in).
• Add the vinegar and garlic and cover the pot.
• Bring to the boil over low heat.
• It is tender when pierced easily with a fork (this can vary from octopus to octopus, so time is not a good indicator of doneness in this case).
• When cool enough to handle, strip off suckers and reddish-purple membrane on flesh (these are delicious, but the octopus is more presentable without them- enjoy them by yourself!).
• Cut the octopus into small tidbits.
• And arrange on a platter, drizzled with olive oil and vinegar and sprinkled with oregano.
• If you are going to serve the octopus another day, pack it in a jar or small tupperware bowl, cover with olive oil, top with 3-4 tblsps of vinegar and 1 tblsp oregano.
• Give a stir.
• Cover and refrigerate.